Garments



A. GARSON Feb. 13, 1962 GARMENTS Filed July 27. 1959 INVENTOR. drikur 4 47:5020

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United States Patent Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,676 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-444) This invention relates to garments, and more particularly to a tubular knitted body-encircling garment in which bust-supporting means such as a brassiere is incorporated.

It is an object of the invention to provide an extensible body-encircling band, preferably composed of seamless knitted material and provided with a built-in brassiere, with the brassiere portion of the garment so arranged that when the garment is worn, the enclosing knitted tubular band will be expanded or stretched, enabling it to fit the body smoothly and closely conform to the same.

It is an object of the invention to provide a knitted tubular body, consisting of an expansible tube and provided with breast cups secured within it at the front of the garment, and secured within the garment by stitching it thereto while the knitted, expansible body of the garment is stretched, thereby insuring smooth, even fit of the knitted body as well as the brassiere portion, when the garment is worn.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a tubular, expansible outer garment in the form of a band, with a brassiere portion located within and concealed by the band and operative when worn to cause the outer garment or band to smoothly conform to the shape of the body without shoulder straps or other means for support. Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of elastic contracting means incorporated in the knitted tubular body and extending between the ends of the brassiere portion to thereby lend elasticity to the garment; to aid in locating the brassiere during the manufacture of the garment and to assist in causing the garment to cling closely to the body of the wearer.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a body-encircling tube of knitted fabric and preferably one in which an elastic thread is incorporated; in the provision of an inside front panel in the form of a strip provided with bust cups, which panel is stitched along its upper and side edges to the knitted tubular body, and preferably while the body is stretched or expanded. The ends of the brassiere portion are connected by an elastic strip which is secured to the inner face of the garment and extends around the back of the garment, which strip serves to limit the stretch of the body of the garment, and acts as a guide for the operator when sewing the brassiere portion in place.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particcularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a garment made in accordance with the invention and as it appears when not in use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the garment as it appears in use;

FIG. 3 shows the garment turned inside out and as it appears when expanded or in position of wear, and

FIG. 4 is a detail view, showing some of the stitching for securing the brassiere portion in place, and one end of the elastic strip.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates generally the body of the garment. The same is preferably, but not necessarily, composed of a seamless, knitted tube made elastic by the incorporation into it of spaced elastic threads, diagrammatically indicated at 17 in FIG. 1. The body 1 of the garment thus presents in its condition of nonuse, at which time it is unstretched, the aspect of a substantially uniform-diameter, flattened tube, as shown in FIG. 1. The tube 1 thus formed, is hemmed at its top and bottom edges, the lower hem being shown at 2. The top of the garment is formed at the front with the V-shaped opening 16.

Located within the body of the garment at the rear of the front portion thereof is the brassiere portion generally indicated at 3. The same is in the form of a cupped strip or panel constructed in conventional brassiere fashion and shaped by means of a plurality of transversely-extended stitfeners 15. The brassiere portion 3 is provided with the breast cups 4 and 5. Its upper edge 10 is located below the top edge of the garment body 1.

The brassiere portion 3 is secured in place within the body 1 by means of stitching 11 extending along the top edge 10 of the brassiere, and also by stitching 9 extending along the side edge 6 of the brassiere, as well as by the stitching 8 extending along the side edge 7 of the brassiere, and from this arrangement of stitching, it will be noted that the brassiere is attached to the body of the garment by stitching extending along three of its edges, with its lower edge 16 remaining unattached to the body 1.

At 13 is shown a narrow band or strip of elastic material which is disposed flatly against the inner face of the body 1 and is stitched thereto by zig-zag stitching 14 permitting of expansibility of the band or strip 13 when the garment is stretched during wear. The band or strip 13 is connected to the ends 6 and 7 of the brassiere and extends around the back of the wearer and is thus a con necting element between the opposite ends of the brassiere.

It will be noted that the top edge of the brassiere is located substantially on a line with the upper edge of the band or strip 13, so that the band or strip serves as a guide to enable the operator to readily and accurately stitch the brassiere in position within the garment body. Moreover, the elastic band or strip 13 provides restrictive elasticity between the ends of the brassiere, thus insuring firmness of bust support thereby.

While the brassiere 3 is being stitched in place in the body 1, the stitching, and particularly that shown at 11 and applied through the upper edge portion of the bras siere as shown in FIG. 3, is applied while the body of the garment is being stretched or expanded, thus avoiding breaking of the thread when the garment is subsequently stretched. Thus, when the garment is in its unstretched condition, as shown in FIG. 1, the brassiere will be contracted or gathered in folds. When in wear, the brassiere stretches out smoothly over the busts and it will shape the body 1 of the garment to evenly fit the wearer.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

-What I claim is:

1. A strapless self-supporting body encircling garment comprising, a tubular and seamless knitted member adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, said member being formed of a material including elastic threads extending circumferentially of said tubular member whereby to impart elasticity and extensibility to said member in a direction circumferentially of the wearer, and a brassiere secured to said tubular member along the inner surface of the upper front part thereof whereby said brassiere is concealed from view when said garment is worn by the wearer, said brassiere having non-elastic breast cups and being stitched to said member while the latter is in a stretched condition thereof, and a narrow elastic strip secured to the inner surface of said member and eX- tending circumferentially thereof between the outer op- 3 posite side edges of said brassiere, said strip being adapted to extend around the back of the wearer when said garment is worn.

2. A strapless self-supporting body encircling garment comprising, a tubular and seamless knitted member adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, said member being formed of a material including elastic threads extending circumferentially of said tubular member whereby to impart elasticity and extensibility to said member in a direction circumferentially of the wearer, and a brassiere secured to said tubular member along the inner surface of the upper front part thereof whereby said brassiere is concealed from view when said garment is worn by the wearer, said brassiere having non-elastic breast cups and being stitched to said member while the latter is in a stretched condition thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

